1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a support arm which connects an auxiliary wheel of a bicycle to the bicycle and can be elastically bent to incline the bicycle.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional auxiliary wheel support arm cannot be elastically bent. Considering that the basis of the driving technique of a bicycle is to obtain balance by inclining the vehicle body, it can be said that the conventional auxiliary wheel support arm wherein bending is impossible is nothing else but a fall-preventing device for a bicycle.
Furthermore, such a device is also possible, where the bicycle support arm and the auxiliary wheel support arm are not overlapped onto each other, and they are merely pivoted to each other, and the bicycle support arm and the auxiliary wheel support arm are connected with an elastic member, so that elastic bending is possible. However, for this device, when a force is applied to the auxiliary wheel back and forth in the traveling direction by a collision between an obstacle on the road and the auxiliary wheel, the force is concentrated on the pivot part to thereby deform the support arm at the pivot part in the back and forth direction. As a result, the traveling direction of the auxiliary wheel is changed to a direction different from the traveling direction of the bicycle, and the device cannot be used unless a special reinforcing means is used.
When a bicycle with no auxiliary wheel turns at a curve, the driver maintains balance by inclining the vehicle body to the side of the turning. However, in the case of the bicycle with an auxiliary wheel using a conventional support arm, the support arm cannot be bent and the vehicle body cannot be inclined, and therefore, the rider does not fall, but on the other hand, it has been difficult to learn the driving technique since the practice of maintaining balance by inclining the vehicle body cannot be done. Furthermore, there have been many beginners who let the bicycle fall just at the moment when the auxiliary wheel is removed, and who make it furthermore difficult to learn the driving technique because of the feeling of fear of falling. The present invention is made to eliminate these disadvantages.
An auxiliary wheel support arm with an inclination function in accordance with the present invention includes a vertically elastically bending part that is arranged at an intermediate location of the support arm connecting the bicycle and the auxiliary wheel.
More specifically, there is provided an auxiliary wheel support with an inclination function comprising an auxiliary wheel support arm and a bicycle support arm, wherein the auxiliary wheel support arm and the bicycle support arm connect the bicycle and the auxiliary wheel. The auxiliary wheel support arm partially overlaps with the bicycle support arm. The bicycle support arm and the auxiliary wheel support arm are vertically movable and pivoted to each other at the end near to the bicycle in the overlap portion. The bicycle support arm and the auxiliary wheel support arm are bound by a T-shaped binding bar and an elastic member in the overlap portion.
When the auxiliary wheel support arm with an inclination function in accordance with the present invention is used, it becomes possible to practice maintaining balance by inclining the vehicle body, which is the basis of the driving technique of a bicycle. It is significantly different from the conventional auxiliary wheel support arm in that while the conventional auxiliary wheel support arm is merely a fall-preventing device, the auxiliary wheel support arm with an inclination function in accordance with the present invention can be elastically bent, and it is possible to practice maintaining balance by inclining the vehicle body, which is the basis of the driving technique of a bicycle, and therefore, it can be called a bicycle driving training tool.